Reading Comprehension: types of questions

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 4-6

Reading comprehension

Week 1

In class today

• How to aproach common types of questions:

1. Common questions
2. Multiple-choice
3. Open Question
4. Quotations

• Practice 

Common Questions

- What is the main point made in paragraph 4? 
- What becomes clear from paragraph 4? 
- Which of the following summarises the author's main point 
   made in paragraph 4? 

= inhoud van een alinea

Common Questions

- Which of the following characterises paragraph 5? 
- What is the function of paragraph 5? 

- What is the purpose of paragraph 5? 

= de functie van een alinea (vaak in verhouding tot een 
    andere alinea), bijv. illustreren, tegenargument geven, enz. 

Common Questions

Soms zit het verschil in de antwoordmogelijkheden in 1 woord:
- To criticise theories behind ... 
- To explain the author's preference for ...
- To inform readers about ... 
- To warn people against ... 

Daarom staan dit soort woorden in je woordenlijst. 

Common Questions:

Soms zit het verschil in de toon: 

- He considers it ... that has to be stopped.                = negatief
- He considers it ... not cause too much concern.   = neutraal
- He considers it ... an insult.                                              = negatief
- He considers it ... a useful instrument.                       = positief

Multiple-Choice Questions

- Reading comprehension tests will consist of around 80-90% of multiple-choice questions.

- These can be "wel/niet"-questions, gap-fill, but mostly multiple-choice questions with longer answers about connections within a text or the content of a text.

Steps:

- Orientation: title, sub-heading, writer, pictures, type of text. 
- Read the question first, the text second. 

- What is the core of the question? What do they want to know exactly?

- Circle/underline/highlight the sentence that is mentioned in the question.

- Read the part of the text that is needed. Pay close attention to linking-/signalwords (moreover, for example, ...) en functiewoorden (emphasise, illustrate, ...).

Steps:

- Pay extra close attention to the first and last sentences of a paragraph. These often contain the most important information. Only look for the most fitting asnwer after reading it.

- Cross out irrelivent or obviously wrong answers. 

General tips:

- The questions are in order of appearence in the text.

- The possible order of answers are randomized. 

7xB is a possibility.

- Only answer using the information in the text. Do not add your own knowledge.

- There are usually two obviously wrong answers and two answers that are quite similar. 

Open Questions

- Open questions are rare for English reading tests/exams. 
- They often ask for:
         - reasons that are given in the text
         - examples that are given in the text
         - the name or term of a specific person, event, thing, etc.

Tips for answering open questions:

- be as short and exact as possible 
- answer the question in the language it is asked (usually Dutch) unless stated otherwise
- Limit your answer to what is asked: 
   "In welke twee gevallen kun je meer uitbetaald krijgen?"
   = name two events 
   = do not mention when you can be payed less

Tips for answering open questions: 

- pay close attention to what the question is referring to: 
   "Welke andere, serieuze aanpak voor het probleem heeft de
     schrijver al eerder in de tekst gegeven?"

Citeer (quote) question

- Citeer (quote) questions are used often. 
- Aimed at one specific piece of information in the text. 
- Often: 
       - an example
       - a reason
       - where/when in the text something has been stated before

Tips Citeer Questions:

-Stick to the instruction:
   "Citeer de eerste twee woorden van de zin waarin ..."
    = give, for example the answer: "The main" 
   "Citeerde eerste en de laatste twee woorden van de zin ..."
   = example answer: "The main ... be resolved."

Tips Citeer Questions:

- If the questions asks for a zinssnede or zinsgedeelte do not write down the entire sentence! It is often 1/3 or 1/4 of the original sentence.